


The Promise of Forever

by pan_dora



Series: Residual Doubts [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, M/M, Wedding, also season 6 still never happened, and possibly failing at it, be warned, because reasons, it's basically 6752 words of me trying to be romantic, sequel to Residual Doubts, wedding ceremony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 23:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16293524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pan_dora/pseuds/pan_dora
Summary: “I’ve seen you and Theo interact for ten whole months now. If anyone will make it to ‘til death do us part' it’s you two.” A moment of heavy silence followed during which the kid adjusted the cuffs on his dress shirt – as if that was there the problem with his outfit. “Like,” he almost instantly stopped, licked his lips and squinted at no one in particular. His head had to be a funny place right now. “Okay, so,” Liam said firmly and turned to look at Stiles, “seeing how much someone like Theo can love a person, how much he can be loved... It kinda redefines the concept of it for me, you know?”





	The Promise of Forever

**Author's Note:**

> The requested sequel to Residual doubts. 
> 
> Prompts are still open if ya interested. Hit me up here or on Tumblr.

“I think I’m going to throw up.”

Lydia squinted at Stiles, tugged at his tie once more and turned around to look at Liam. The kid squatted in the corner of the room, head in his hands.  His dress shirt was still  incorrectly buttoned – which both Lydia and John had informed him about two hours and a second time thirty minutes ago – and his dress shoes continued to be a tripping hazard . “Shouldn’t you be helping Jackson?”

Liam peeked at her through his fingers. “He told me to see if I can help here.”

Stiles took a deep breath, then groaned and collapsed into the armchair. “Liam,” he said rubbing his shaking hands over his thighs, “why are  you nervous?” Not that he intended to sound accusatory but best men were usually the people  aiding the groom. They were not supposed to amp their anxiety.  God , choosing the kid as his best man was a terrible idea. It had been a joke. At first. But as Lydia and Scott’s bickering got worse and worse, Stiles had decided to roll with it. They couldn’t stop fighting. So, he had taken away their reason  to  fight. Simple as that. If he had known Liam would suffer a nervous breakdown on his wedding day, he would’ve chosen someone better. Isaac for example.  Not an eighteen-year-old about to hyperventilate because he had to sign a paper and be an unofficial reception host .

“What if something goes wrong?” Liam asked still peeking through his fingers, and his eyes grew large. “What if I do something wrong?”

"Sweetheart," Lydia drawled watching Liam with furrowed brows, "all you have to do is lead the guests to their table and bring the presents from A to B. Jackson is going to help you ." She threw a few strands of her curled hair over her shoulder and sent a dirty look in Stiles’ direction. “The only thing going wrong will be Stiles not wearing a proper suit jacket.”

Not that again. They had this discussion on many times. Lydia had almost suffered a meltdown as Stiles had refused to wear a suit jacket. The ceremony took place at the lake, outside, with the sun shining overhead. It might be autumn, but it’s still too warm for a dress shirt, a vest  and  a suit jacket. She was wearing a strapless dress ending above her knees, of course, it’s not as warm for her.

“Please,” Stiles muttered after a few seconds, “get your shit together. Also, button your shirt  properly , and tie your  shoes . We've gotta leave soon and I do not intend to be late for my own wedding ceremony.” His breath caught in his throat. “ Wedding."  Stiles struggled to breathe. Wedding day. This was his wedding day. He was an hour away from becoming a husband. “Marriage. I’m getting  married .”

“Oh.” Lydia hurried back to him, “here we go.”

“I’m not even twenty.” Stiles stared at her, wide-eyed, heart pounding. He breathed. Or rather, he tried to because his throat was closing up. “We’re not even dating for two years.  Oh god . I don’t wanna have a divorce with twenty-five. Or sooner. I’m getting  hitched before I’m  legally allowed to drink alcohol. What the hell?” He laughed,  quietly , his own anxiety a sudden pressure on his chest. It’s not a panic attack, not even close. But he felt jittery and horrible. Lydia squeezed his hands, and Stiles squeezed back taking another deep breath. “I can’t believe this is happening.” He chuckled, couldn't help it. Something about the whole situation still seemed fucking unreal. Although they had planned this for almost a year now.

Liam patted his head. “I’ve seen you and Theo for ten whole months now. If anyone will make it to ‘til death do us part' it’s you two.” A moment of heavy silence followed during which the kid adjusted the cuffs on his dress shirt. As if that was there the problem with his outfit. “Like,” he stopped, licked his lips and squinted at no one in particular. His head had to be a funny place right now. “Okay, so,” Liam said firmly and turned to look at Stiles, “seeing how much someone like Theo can love a person, how much he can  be  loved... it kinda redefines the concept of it for me, you know?”

Lydia cooed, pressed a hand to her chest.

“I liked Hayden  because  she was pretty and smart and self-assured. I was smitten with her, as my mom would say." Liam rolled his eyes at his own words, “and  simply didn’t see what others saw. But you're, like, you love Theo  despite  all his flaws. You’ve seen him at his worst, and yet here we are.”  He pointed at the engagement ring Theo had insisted on; a simple band in white gold, no nick-nack, only a small anchor engraved on its inside . Stiles ran his thumb over it, then looked back up at Liam. “My mom is on her third marriage. I love her, I  really do. But I wish she’d try a little harder, y’know? I haven’t seen your kind of love before.”

Stiles stared at him for a while, perplexed. To be fair, this was not what he had expected from Liam. He swallowed a few times, making sure his voice would sound stable and smiled. “Seems like it’s been a good decision to make you my best man after all.”

Liam beamed, and Lydia snorted. But her face was soft, as she got to her feet, her dress playing around her legs at the rapid movement. “How about that.” She patted Liam’s cheek with a small, yet  definitively diabolical smile. “We make you presentable, so Lori’s swayed to dance with you at least once.”

“I don’t-“

“Oh, please.” Stiles leaned back with a roll of his eyes, “you’ve been thirsting for her for the past three months.”

“That is  not true.” Liam insistent flushing  aggressively .

Lydia eyed Stiles with a quiet chuckle who shrugged. As if he was going to deal with the kid’s relationship today of all days.

 

“What’s going on, kiddo?”

Stiles let out a low whine. He kept his face hidden against his thighs refusing to move an inch. It’s not even that he was unsure about his decision to marry Theo. That’s all he was sure about right now. To say ‘I do’. To tell Theo that he’d spend the rest of his life with him and only him. He’s not even worried about Theo changing his mind. There’s nothing in this world he could doubt any less than this, than today. The only thing he feared was walking down that aisle while people were staring at him. His legs felt like rubber. He  probably wasn’t even going to make it to Theo without collapsing.  That’s what he's horrified about: making a fool out of himself on what’s supposed to be the best day of his whole fricking life .

“I can’t feel my legs,” Stiles croaked after a few prolonged seconds of dreadful silence. “I don’t wanna walk over there. I can’t do it.”

His father leaned over to squeeze his shoulder. “I thought you want to marry Theo.”

“ Physically ,” Stiles added, his head snapping up to stare at his father in horror. Of fucking course, he wanted to marry Theo. He’d said yes, and not  once  had he regretted his decision in the last ten months. Not even after that  excruciatingly painful argument about children in their future. They hadn’t spoken to each other for a fucking week. Jordan and John had stepped in, forcing them to sit down and get everything off their chests. They still hadn’t found common ground. But the worst part about it was that Stiles had found himself alone in a corner. It's Theo who his dad's backup – even though he'd promised not to get involved. Then again, they had been discussing potential grandchildren. Of course, he would choose the side arguing  for children instead of against.

“ Physically ?”

“Yes, I cannot feel my legs,” he whined, squeezed his eyes shut. “The second I’ll get to my feet I collapse.  Oh god . Why do I have to do this?”

His father smiled, eyes soft and crossed his arms over his legs. “Because Theo requested it.”

“I  know .” It’s, in fact, the only thing Theo had requested during all the preparation. He agreed to everything Stiles had suggested or affirmed. Lydia, who had planned the wedding with her mother and Melissa, had almost flipped her shit once. She'd been furious. Until Theo had, rather unimpressed, told her that all he’d need for a perfect wedding was Stiles. She had forgiven him for everything a second later. Theo had never needed to make a decision again. Stiles had wanted to throttle him.

“But why?” Of all the things he could’ve requested, he’d asked Stiles to do  that . Why let him walk down the aisle? He was a walking catastrophe on a good day.

“How many people have walked away from him?”

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck squinting at his father. “I don’t understand the question.”

“Kiddo.” He sounded almost scolding. “Put yourself in his shoes. He’s used to people walking out of his life; even you did when you were kids.” If this was an attempt at making him feel better, his father did a terrible job. Because it made him feel horrible. Especially for complaining about such a minor detail.  It’s a minute-long walk, if even, and Stiles was struggling with his nerves for the sole reason of people looking at him .

“Fuck.” He hung his head and pressed both hands to the nape of his neck. “Now,  I feel bad.”

John laughed; a quiet sound, something that loosened the rope around Stiles’ chest. “Do you know what Mieczysław said to me after he’d heard I’ll walk you down the aisle?”

Stiles quirked his brows and glanced out of the limousine’s window for a second. It’s a small wedding. Stiles’ family and their closest friends. He spotted the head of his maternal grandmother whipping in every direction. Lydia ushered Liam towards the front – a direction he avoided looking at. Stiles had the horrible feeling he’d throw up if he saw Theo waiting for him. “No, what?” He felt queasy and his voice trembled as much as his fingers.

With a small sigh, his father switched seats to sit next to him and curled an arm around his shoulders. “The reason I waited almost ten minutes for your mother during our ceremony was  this .” He gestured in Stiles’ direction. “Because she thought she couldn’t walk either.”

“But she could.”

“And my whole world lit up as she entered the church.”

Stiles chuckled  quietly leaning against his father as he did. “I wish she could be here today.”

John squeezed the nape of his neck for a moment. “She is,” he announced pressing a hand over his heart. “She always will be.”

Sometimes, Stiles wished it was this easy for him. Yet ever since his suppressed memory had come back, it's as if his mother was slipping through his fingers. He feared he was going to lose her someday. The memories he’d have of her before her illness were few and sparse, even if intense. He tried to cherish them. He tried to keep the stench of her delusion of them. The question if she was right buried somewhere underneath, still there yet hidden. Most of the time.

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I hope Jordan isn’t too corny.”

“It’s your wedding, kiddo, I told him to be extra cheesy.”

And then, the music started. Stiles whipped his head around to look outside again. Everyone raised to their feet in unison. He spotted Liam grabbing his suit jacket in what seemed to be a fit of panic then relaxing. Lydia hit the back of his head coaxing laughter out of those who hadn't yet turned around.

“Ready?”

“Please, carry me if my legs give out.”

John laughed and pushed the door open. The soft sounds of the piano accentuated Lori’s gentle voice. They had gone through countless songs until they’d finally settled on a piano cover of ‘ May I '.  Honestly , Stiles had chosen it because hearing Lori sing it had blown him away. Her voice carried, drew in, wrapped around him like the softest blanket. He could hug the world.  When his father stepped aside for Stiles to clamber out of the limousine and his feet hit the floor, his anxiety  was stripped away .  Standing here, while Mason and Lori brought magic into the ceremony, while all these people were watching him walk towards the person he was going to spend the rest of his life with, everything  simply made  sense .

Stiles took a deep breath, glanced at his father and nodded. This was it. This was the day.  After he’d passed everyone who mattered to him, he was going to tell Theo that he’d chosen him, that he would always choose him . No matter why, no matter where, no matter when.

As his dad put a hand on his shoulders, Stiles finally allowed himself to look at Theo – and when he did, it was impossible to look away . Ever since the day he’d come back to Beacon Hills, Theo had been attractive to him. Over time, the sensation had only increased. But today was different.  It’s not the suit, a dark grey dipping into black, the jacket hugging his shoulders  perfectly , the dark red shirt the piece of clothing connecting their outfits . Lydia had built them around it, chosen everything, let them stand at the tailor for hours. But it’s not that what made the look so fucking perfect. It’s not his  neatly styled hair or his perfect white teeth framed by a grin.

It’s something invisible to the eye and yet so obvious to everyone who looked at him.

_ Happiness _ .

For all the months leading up to this, the stress of planning, of exasperated conversations shared in the middle of the night, of his passiveness in the whole endeavour, Theo couldn't look happier; and Stiles could  barely keep himself from running towards that handsome devil who he was about to call his husband .

His gaze flickered to Jordan looking at him with an almost proud little smile, then to Jackson who stood next to Theo; a best man nobody had expected but who made a hell of a lot of sense . Corey and Isaac were standing on Jackson's left. Smiling. Everyone was smiling. Out of the corner of his eye, Stiles noticed Liam raising his hand. Lydia grabbed it, fingers tight around his wrist, and pulled it down again. Scott grinned at the two of them, then at Stiles and his grin widened until he beamed at him. 

It’s like they were all wrapped up in cotton wool and high on candyfloss.

They stopped,  eventually . The walk had felt like forever. Theo’s grin softened to a smile, and he tipped his head to the side, the tiniest bit, eyes roaming over him. Within a heartbeat, Stiles felt self-conscious. He should’ve worn the suit jacket. Or what if light grey wasn’t his colour? The suit in combination with the red shirt might make him look pale, ill even. Oh god, did he  look like he was about to throw up?

His father squeezed the nape of his neck, and Stiles turned around, hugged him. It gave him a moment of silence, a second to catch his breath and calm his nerves. “Go get married, kiddo.” He felt small, so very young and so out of his element. They both let go. For a little while longer, John’s hand rested at the nape of his neck. Stiles smiled and nodded; grateful his father had given him the chance to find his composure in his arms.

Stiles grinned again, although his stomach felt like it was about to drop. Now, he was afraid something would go wrong. Not between them. Their life fucking them over. It’s something he had gotten used to a long time ago.  But he turned around to find his friends, his big brother, and fiancé standing there, confident and happy . When Theo offered him his hand, Stiles took it, intertwining their fingers on instinct.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hi." It’s like meeting his crush for the first time.

Theo tugged him a little closer, and they both turned to watch Mason behind the piano. His fingers flew over the keys. Lori stood next to him. Her voice ever so  slowly quieting down until the song ended as magical as it had begun. There was applause, lots of it, and Stiles snorted out a laugh as he heard Brett cheer for his little sister. He  briefly glanced over his shoulder to find him. He spotted his babcia* instead, dabbling at her eyes. Then Melissa smiling with a watery expression. Natalie didn't look any better.

Stiles whipped his head back around.  Oh god .

Theo squeezed his hand,  probably noticing the sudden speed of his heartbeat. People were crying happy tears already. Jesus fucking Christ, this was a lot to take in.

“Weddings,” Jordan dragged his attention back to him, to Theo and the hand in his own, “are no new beginnings. They don’t bring two families together. You don’t need a certificate to be family. When I came to this town, I did so because of a job offer. Little did I know I would become a son again, and a big brother for the first time. But then, on the day I started my work at the sheriff’s department, Stiles barrelled into my life. I say barrelled because that’s what he does. He pops up out of nowhere and he’s this loud kid who somehow manages to take up too little space. On the morning of my first day, he appeared at my desk with this stern expression and told me ‘this is how it goes here, buddy’.” Jordan rolled his eyes with a smile. “I was sure he’d be one of those bratty teenagers who thought he's privileged because his father’s the sheriff. But he told me to keep an eye on John’s diet instead. He told me he’d figure out if I slacked off and how he’d raise hell if I ever were to buy him a burger.” Quiet laughter filled the clearing. Jordan smirked, and Stiles glanced at his father with a grin. The sheriff didn’t need to think that would change because he was getting married today. “A few weeks later, Stiles told his father to cut me some slack because my partner would like to see me sometime. When I told him it’s fine, I don’t have a family he started, not so subtle, to drop off homemade lunches or dinners at my desk. He cares a lot about those close to him, although he’d never admit it out loud.” Stiles grinned  slyly . He was still doing it when he wasn’t away at college. After all, he’d been to Parrish’ flat and saw one takeout container too many. 

“Theo is...” Jordan looked like he was searching for the right word. Everyone knew he’d written the speech down beforehand. Like a sane person would do. “ Vastly different. He’s quiet but takes up a lot more space than Stiles does. You're aware of his presence like a shift in atmosphere. With his very unique  charm,  he carves his place into your life, one step at a time. He grew on me, although it took time.”

Theo scoffed, and Stiles nudged him with his elbow. How kind of Jordan not to mention the incident at Eichen House.

“When John came to me one evening, telling me my little brother was dating Theo, I was less than thrilled.”  Simultaneously , they turned around to glare at him. He pretended not to notice. So much for their request to keep it a secret. His father was a goddamn announcement board.

Melissa looked scandalised that he had confided in his deputy instead of her.

Jordan cleared his throat and they turned again. “Those who know him understand why I was hesitant. But Stiles had always been able to read Theo like an open book and his instincts are usually right. So, I gave him a chance. It was the right decision.  Today we  are gathered at the lake Stiles’ parents had met for the first time because Stiles and Theo had chosen us to bear witness to the promises they want to make to each other . They’ve chosen us to be with them when they symbolise their forever with a ring.”

Theo squeezed his hand again, and Stiles' gaze darted over to him.

“Before you exchange your vows, I need to ask you, Theo, to repeat after me..." Theo went rigid next to him, almost as if it had hit him right then and there they were about to get married.  “I do  solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I, Theodore Raeken, may not  be joined in matrimony to- ." Theo’s voice rung clear in the little pauses he had to recite the words. Stiles worried the bones of his hands were going to  be crushed . Jordan grew more and more antsy the further he came to the real challenge of today; Stiles’ first name. His gaze darted towards the crowd, then Stiles. Almost as if to  preventively apologise for butchering it. “Mieczysław Stilinski.”

Nailed it. Well,  _ mostly _ .

Theo pronounced it almost like a native speaker.  Stiles wondered how often the ‘I’ll bring your dad dinner’ offer had been an excuse to learn the proper pronunciation . Especially after hearing him wrangle some of the easiest French words. While that language was nasty, Polish was  just plain rude. Who hid their w as ł? But only sometimes, of course, because consistency was no fun.

“Stiles, please, repeat after me.“ He tried his hardest to keep his voice  just as steady. He  really did, but it didn’t work quite as well.  It hitched when he repeated his own name, and his heart sped up remembering what he had planned, remembering what Theo had no clue about . For a second, his eyes darted to Lydia who smiled at him nodding. Stiles was so glad Theo didn’t let go of his hands because his legs were turning to rubber again. The vows would follow this. Their vows.  Personal  vows, words they had written themselves. He feared, his mind would blank, and he’d make a fool out of himself.

Jordan didn’t have a single clue about what was going on. Theo worked his jaw – a sure sign that he’s too antsy to notice anything. “You may now exchange your vows.”

That meant letting go of Theo. Stiles did, one finger at a time, and they both turned to look at each other. His lips twitched into a nervous smile as Theo didn’t know what to do with his hands. He grinned, ran a one over his nape and took a breath. “Okay." Theo pushed his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket until he decided to fold them in front of him. Stiles mirrored his stance, but his hands felt was too empty. “When I first saw you, we were seven and I fell off my skateboard and broke my arm because your laugh scared the shit out of me.” He chuckled, a sound not quite belonging to him. It’s far too nervous. “I was new in town, like I used to be, and didn’t know anybody. The first person I’ve talked to was you. Loud, obnoxious and a blur of flailing limbs. But you were kind and helped me and pretended we weren’t old enough to know that a kiss didn’t  magically heal wounds.” Theo smirked self-assured as red crept up Stiles' neck.  Yeah , about that. “You told Scott to get help and sat with me. You didn’t laugh about me crying or scolded me for being weak. You were everything I’ve never known. I wanted you to become my friend right then and there, but I didn’t know how to do that.” This time, Theo looked almost embarrassed at the statement. He pressed his hands against his chest for a second, then stepped forward, palm up, asking for Stiles’. He took it  instantly . “I still don’t, to be honest,” he admitted, his voice dropping for the flicker of a second, and Stiles squeezed his hand. “Instead I studied you, learned everything I could. But I left Beacon Hills before I had the chance to call you my friend.”

Theo swallowed. For a few heartbeats, he looked down, almost as if he couldn’t continue. But when he finally met Stiles’ gaze again, he smiled, even if a little crooked. “When I came back, I’ve been in a terrible space and you were nothing but a shadow of the kid I’d met all those years ago. You hated me.  Rightfully so. I still wanted you to become my friend... and more to be honest. With you, I understood the concept of love. Although you threatened to beat me,  severely , with a lead pipe wrapped in barbed wire.” Theo grinned, and Stiles raised his free hand to cover his flushed cheeks. Did he have to bring that up? That was  one time . “I’ve seen every part of you. I’ve seen you hit rock bottom. I’ve seen you fall and break down, and I’ve seen you stand back up only to spite those who opposed you.”  Gently , Theo curled his fingers around Stiles’ wrist and pulled his hand away from his face. There was a smile on his lips he couldn’t describe; it almost hit him harder than his words.

This was real.

They were in the middle of getting married.

Stiles let out a shaky breath.

“It reminded me of things I thought I have long forgotten. You taught me how much a life is worth, how to be human again; I will cherish that forever.” Theo sounded confident, hopeful. He sounded happy and so goddamn excited.  Like this was the best thing that could’ve happened to him, like it was more than he deserved, and he still waited for the other shoe to drop . “Today, I want to repeat a promise I’ve made before. Whatever the future holds, whatever may happen between us, I will always look out for you. I will stop at nothing to protect you, I will never lose my faith in you, no matter what other people might tell me about you.” Theo’s gaze darted past Stiles for a second, lips pressed together. He swallowed before he locked eyes with him again, a soft smile curling around his lips. “I know I’m not easy to handle and much harder to love... so, I’m grateful you gave me a chance, even though I was an ass about it and tricked you into our first date.” That's one way to phrase it. It’s  definitively the way Stiles preferred because he did not need to give his babcia a heart attack. “I love you, Mischief, and I promise you won’t regret giving me a chance."

Stiles had a hard time staying where he stood. It’s so awfully exhausting not to yank Theo close and press their lips together. He wanted to kiss him and never ever stop – at least not until he was forcefully removed from him. But, the wedding ceremony. He had to keep his wits about himself. Stiles swallowed, took a breath and squeezed Theo's hands with a small smile. "As you are aware, I’m brilliant at making plans but not so much at writing down what I’m thinking. My mind was one giant blob of nothing whenever I told myself that now I’d finish my vow. I’ve written a couple-"

"28," Lydia muttered so nobody but the werewolves and he could hear her.

Stiles shot a sharp glance over his shoulder then cleared his throat and turned back around. "And I hated every single one of them. With a passion. Since I’m a master at improvisation, I thought to myself - why not wing it? Can’t be that hard. I was right. It’s not. Seeing you standing in front of me today finally helped to clear my head. I have a lot of reasons why I should’ve never given you the time of day; were both aware of that.” He paused, tried to figure out where he wanted to go with this. To be honest, he didn’t have a single clue.  Wing it . Great fucking idea. “But I didn’t turn you down. At first, because I have a proclivity to fix broken people. It distracts me from the mess I am myself. Soon, that changed. You had cracked me open long before we started dating and you never stopped. On days I can’t look at myself in the mirror, you don't leave my side. Instead, you tell me how much you love me until  I believe I’m worth it.”

Stiles closed his eyes. He’d never felt so calm, so right, so at ease than he did in this very moment. “On nights I wake up screaming, you hold me and when you’ve not been there, I could call you on the phone. Hearing your voice is enough to calm me down. I don’t even have to tell you what’s going on. If I do, you’ll listen." Stiles realised what he wanted to tell him, what he wanted to do; what he had to do to go into this marriage with a clean slate. “Something I should’ve done all those years ago. You said you remembered the boy I was before everything had happened. Truth is, I do too.  So, when you came back to Beacon Hills, I couldn’t believe you were that quiet, frightened little guy who had fallen off his skateboard the day we had met .” Stiles took another breath, forced his voice to steady. “But you were and the part of me who didn’t want to break your nose over and over again felt guilty as hell.”

He ran his thumb over the back of Theo’s hand, and he tugged him closer until they were standing toe to toe. He tried to speak loud enough for the others to hear, but his voice dropped anyway. “I still wonder if I could’ve stopped it, had I had listened to you. You wanted five minutes, I didn’t even give you one because,  frankly , I thought you were insane. I know now, you hadn’t lied to me back then and you never lied to me afterwards. You were always honest with me. So, I will promise to listen to you, for five minutes, for an hour, for a lifetime. I will force you to accept my help, which I have to do because you never ask for it. I will be your anchor and I will stand by your side no matter what.” Stiles cleared his throat and made himself speak up again – not caring who heard him as long as Theo did. “I don’t regret a second I’ve spent with you. I never once doubted us. Even when we fought, even after you left me alone with three manic women planning our wedding. I love you, Theo, and I can’t imagine my life without you by my side.”

His heart was still beating out of his chest and not letting go felt like the sensible thing to do. Stiles wanted to kiss him, and to hold him. He also kind of wanted to get him out of this suit because he looked  illegally attractive. There was… a lot going on right now. Stiles couldn’t exchange the rings fast enough, sign the papers and be alone with him. At least long enough so he’d survive the wedding reception.

“Now, exchange the rings as a symbol for the promises you made.”

Stiles glanced in Jordan’s direction before letting go of Theo, who quirked a brow at something behind him . Liam had the rings. Liam  should  have the ring. Stiles spun around, almost tripping over his own feet. His heart threatened to leap into his throat – he was going to kill this stupid kid if he had lost the goddamn rings. This was the only job that mattered today, the only job Stiles had actually given a shit about. They should’ve given the rings to Jackson. They should’ve- Stiles blinked, once, then twice.  His little cousin Agata had hopped off her perch next to Babcia Marzena and wobbled in their direction . She was two.  Stiles had seen her once during a family gathering and countless times while video chatting with his aunt . Agata beamed at him carrying the small bright red pillow with two rings.

Theo had already crouched down when she reached them smirking up at him.  Wow . The disrespect on his own wedding day. That bastard. She giggled and turned away as Theo reached out a hand to take the rings. Most people laughed at her insistent  ‘tiles ! 

Karma was a bitch on any day, good to know.

Grinning at Theo, Stiles crouched down to accept the rings. “Dzięki, słoneczko*.”

Agata squealed, clapped both hands to her cheeks rushing back to her mother as fast as her little legs carried her .

“What did you say?” Theo asked as they both raised to their feet.

Stiles smirked. “That doesn’t concern you.”

“Wow,” Theo breathed in mock hurt as he tugged one of the rings free and Jordan took the little cushion from him.

Stiles was smack back in the middle of things. There still was something Theo didn’t have a clue about. There still was something, Stiles had kept a secret for about three months now. For the first time, he wondered if it was a good idea. As Theo grabbed his hand, his sudden nervous energy calmed a bit. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and a reminder of the things I promised you.” Theo took his left hand in his, thumb caressing his knuckles. “I commit my heart and my soul to you.”  Carefully , he placed the ring on Stiles’ finger, his hands steady. He's far from the nervous wreck, he had been last Christmas. 

Stiles cast an almost nervous glance at Jordan, who nodded  encouragingly and helped as his fingers trembled so bad he couldn’t get the ring free . This was the part he  was terrified of. Not the exchanging of rings.

_ Well, would you _ ? Theo’s eyes had been hopeful back then although he’d tried to keep the sound out of his voice.  What ? Stiles closed his hand around the ring and squeezed his eyes shut.  Take my name ?

“During all that planning you asked for two things; only one had to do with the wedding,” Stiles began and his voice cracked in all the wrong places . Blinking his eyes open, he cleared his throat watching as Theo’s face contorted in confusion. “The other had to do with us. When we got engaged, you wondered if I’d take your name and I said no. Two months ago, you asked me if I wanted you to take my name and I said no again. I knew you  were pissed , even though you pretended not to be.” His voice grew steadier with every word. His anxiety still bounced underneath his skin like an out of control superball. Theo furrowed his brows, eyes darting to Jordan as if he hoped to find the answer in his face. “The thing is, I didn’t say no because I wanted us to keep our separate last names.  The day we signed our marriage license, I ticked the box to change my last name while you were busy rolling your eyes at my ramblings .” Realisation struck him, and Theo’s eyes grew wide. His lips parted like he wanted to say something. But the only thing Stiles heard was a quiet gasp. He took his left hand, played with the ring a few seconds longer. “That’s also the reason you never saw the license afterwards. I did it because you lost everything, you lost yourself and I was afraid to take away your roots.” Stiles swallowed, then placed the ring on Theo’s finger without any trouble or fear or hesitation. “With this ring, I will take your name, I will commit my heart and my soul to you.”

A moment of silence followed his words.  Theo was still staring at him with this completely starstruck expression Stiles had no fucking clue how to interpret . His nerves were on fire. His muscles burned from the strain not to move and turn and run as fast as possible. Panic rose in his chest like a tidal wave, all-consuming.  Say something , he wanted to demand but his mouth wouldn’t work. It’s like he spilled his lasts words mere moments ago, and his body needed time to reproduce new ones.

But then, Jordan had just begun to speak, Theo yanked him close and crashed their mouths together. Too early, too desperate and most likely way too insistent. Stiles cared for approximately two seconds. He cared until Theo’s hand curled around the nape of his neck to pull him so close it seemed he wanted them to become one person. He’s aware, for another blissful few seconds, that they weren’t alone, that people were watching them because it’s their goddamn wedding. But, also, it’s their goddamn wedding and Stiles’ world shrunk until it’s just Theo’s tongue sneaking past his lips, and his arm around his waist. His body finally unfroze. He raised his arms to wrap them around Theo’s neck and shoulders. His fingers grabbed the expensive fabric of his suit jacket. Both of Theo's hands found their place at his hips, fingertip pressing down hard.

He pulled back. “ _Fuck_.” It’s more a breathless chuckle than an actual word, and Theo brushed their noses together. “You have no idea, how much I love you.” Before Stiles’ brain could recover from the assault, Theo kissed him again. A lot slower this time, lips moving against his in an almost calming manner. He hummed before he pulled back and turned his head to the left. “You were saying?”

Stiles blinked, confused. Then reality came crashing down on him, and he flushed. A normal kiss. That had been the plan. Well.  Shit .

Jordan let out a breath as Stiles hid his face at Theo’s shoulder. “I told everyone you’re married while you were two steps ahead.” There was a faint smirk in his tone. “You wanna hear it, too?”

“Sure.”

Stiles poked him in the ribs. Only Theo managed to be a smug asshole on his own wedding day.  Seriously .

Jordan sighed. “With the power invested in me, I declare you, Theo and Stiles, married. You may kiss.” Someone behind him chuckled. “Again.”

Theo rolled his shoulders, and Stiles raised his head. There’s a soft smile playing around his lips as his hand came up to his jaw. He’s slow, completely calm and brushed his thumb over his cheek. “Raeken, hm?” He breathed scrutinising his face, eyes wide with too many emotions.

“What? You don’t like it?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled him in and sealed their lips again. They’re  legally a family now – and Stiles thought he was floating in their very own universe. It happened. It  really happened.  Fuck .  With a quiet sound in the back of his throat, Stiles melted against Theo who wrapped his free arm  possessively around his waist .

Some things  obviously never changed.


End file.
